Railway-gate.



E. M. BUGHANNAN.

.BAILWAY GATE. APPLICATION Hum AUG.17, 1908.

918,653. I -Pate1 1tedApr.20,1909.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

avwentoz RAILWAY GATE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.17, 1908.

Patented Apr. 20; 1909.

2 SBEETS 8HEET 2.

TI I l I UNITED sTArEs PATENT osnron.

EDWARD M. BUCHANNAN, SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM A. BRADFORD,

OF BIRTHRIGHT, TEXAS.

RAILWAY-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed August 17, 1908. Serial No. 448,908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. BUCHAN- NAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sulphur Springs, in the county ofl-Iopkins and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Railway-Gate, of which the fol lowing is a specification. p

This invention has reference to improvements in railway gates and its object is to provide a device of this character which shall be positive in action and which maybe operated at an appropriately long distance ahead of an approaching train.

In the case of grade crossings a gate on each side of the crossing. prevents access to the tracks of the railroad except at the crossing and the possibility of operating the gates from distant points will provide warning to users of the crossing that a train is approaching when the gates are opened.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming apart of this specification, in which drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved railway gate. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line Al3 of Fi 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line D of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line EF of Fig. 1 with parts omitted. Fig. 5 isa detail section, and Fig. 6 is a detail section of aportion of the actuating means. i Referring to the drawings there is shown the rails 1 and ties 2 of an ordinary track. On each side of the track at an appropriate point are erected posts 3 connected together by top and bottom cross beams 45, the posts 3 being made in two pieces spaced apart to permit the passage therethrough of an appropriate gate 6 or 7 as the case may be. Extendingbetween the posts 8 adjacent to the top beam 4 and bottom beam 5 are strips 8- lyingparallel with the respec-- tive gate and serving together with the re spective top and bottom beams to form guiding channels for said gate.

The gates are designed -totraverse the track in the particular structure-shown in the drawings but by a mere reversal of the operation .the gates may be caused to move longitudinally of the track and to close on the approach of a train instead of opening as in t e particularstructure shown. 1 .In' the drawings the gates are shown as solid, but it will be understood that openwork gates may be made as well as solid gates and may be made of wood or metal as desired.

The invention is not limited to any particular shape or form of gate, and the latter may be either plain or ornamental but under any circumstances should be protective.

The gates are of such size that when brought together they will extend entirely across the track and be in the middle of the same, while the su porting posts 3 are so spaced as to properly guide and sustain the gates whether closed or opened.

In order to facilitate the opening and closing of the gates, the latter may be supported further by rollers 9 of any a)propriate type mounted in the beams 4 and 5 or otherwise to act as an anti-friction support for the gates.

At the rear end of each gate is a strap or yoke 10 to which is pivotally connected one end of a link 11 the other end of which is pivotally connected to the free end of a rock arm 12. The rock arm 12 is fast upon a rock shaft 13 mounted in suitable journal bearings fast on long ties 14 or any other suitable support along the line of way.

In the particular structure shown in the drawings there are two rock arms 12 and two links 11 for each gate section 6 or 7, one rock arm 12 and link 11 being located on one side of the gate and the other rock arm 12 and link 11 being located on the other side of the gate. If the gate be of heavy structure then the duplicate pairs of links and rock arms are advisable, but if the gate be of light structure then a single rock arm and link will be found suflicient.

The rock shaft 13 adjacent to one of the gates say the gate 6, is provided with two other rock arms 14 projecting approximately at right angles to the rock arms 12, while the rock shaft 13 adjacent to the gate 7 may be provided with a single rock arm 15 projecting at an obtuse angle to the rock arm 12.

Extending parallel to but spaced from one of the rails 1 is a shaft 15 which may be termed the line shaft since it is designed to be extended on each side of the gates for a distance as great-as necessary. This shaft 15 is rovided with numerous rock arms 16 extending normally in a downward direction into pits 17 which may be provided for the purpose along the line of way, and these pits may be suitably lined as indicated at 18 wherever this may be found to be necessary.

On each side of the gate 6, the shaft 15 is provided with short rock arms 19 extending parallel with the gate and substantially horizontal in normal position. The outer end of each rock arm 1.9 is connected by a link 20 to the free end of the corresponding rock arm 14: of the shaft 13. This structure is de signed more particularly for heavy gates while for light gates a single rock arm 19 and link 20, together with a single rock arm 14; on the shaft 13 will be found ample for the purpose.

The shaft 13 adjacent to the gate 6 carries other rock arms 21 the free ends of which are connected by beams 22 to the free ends of the rock arm 1.5 on the shaft 13 adjacent to the gate 7, and the last named rock arm 15 is connected by a sprin 23 to one of the posts 3 or other fixed portion of the structure.

The tendency of the spring 23 is to draw the rock arm 15 in a direction away from the track, and this will cause the rec ring of the rock arm 1.2 in a direction toward the track, and this movement of the rock arm 12 through the link 11 will actuate the gate 7 toward the middle of the track. The same movement is imparted by the links 22 to the rock arms 21 thus causing a partial rotation of the shaft 15 through the said rocl-t arms 21. This movement is imparted from the rock shaft 15 through the arms 19 and 20 to the arms 14 on the shaft 1.3 adjacent to the gate 6, and the construction is such that the rock arms 12 are moved by the spring toward the track thus through the links 11 impelling the gate 6 toward the gate 7 until the two gates meet midway 0f the track. The meeting edges of the gates may be provided with buffer pads 24 to prevent noise and jar.

Arranged along the inner face of one of the rails 1 in close relation thereto and in parallelism therewith is a bar 25. This bar may be of as great length as desired and will be long enough to be engaged by the wheels of an approaching train in ample time to open the gate before the train can approach within dangerous proximity to said gate. This bar may be hundreds of feet in length. The inner face of the rail between the flange and tread is provided with a filling in strip 26 held in place by suitable bolts 27. This strip prevents the bar 25 from engaging the tread of the rail and so hanging thereagainst. At each end of the bar 25 there is connected thereto a hinged section 28. One end of the hinged member 28 is connected to the track by a hinged bracket 29, fast at one end to the track rail and at the other end appropriately bent to pass through the corresponding end of the member 28 and to then be bolted fast to the track. The other end of the hinged member 28 is formed with a recess 30 entered by a tongue 31 on the corresponding end of the bar 25. The tongue 31 is provided with a slot 32 through which extends a pin 33 carried by the slotted end of the nember 28. The tongue 31 is sligl'itly curved so that there may be a slight hinge action between the member 28 and bar 25. Both the member 28 and the bar 25 are located so close to the track rail as to be engaged by the flange of the wheels of an approaching train, which will tend to depress the member 28 and carry with it the bar 25.

In order to guide the member 28 and corresponding end of the bar 25 there is made fast to the ties 2 parallel with but spaced from the corresponding rail 1 a long block 34, there being a block 34 opposite each member 28.

In the normal position of the parts the bar 25 and corresponding ends of the members 28 are slightly above the upper surface of the tread of the corresponding rail, and the end of each member 28 where connected to the bar 25 is likewise slightly above the corresponding long block 3 1. To properly guide the hinged end of the member 28 where it is connected to the bar 25 there is secured to the under side of this member a plate 35 having parallel spaced wings 36, one of which engages the block 34-. and the other of which engages the rail 1 adjacent to the block 34 and also engages the lilling-in strip 26 on the inner face of the web of the rail.

The pin 33 is utilized as a means of connecting one end of a link 37 to the member 28, while the other end. of the link 37 is connected to a rock arm 38 fast on a shaft 39 journaled on the ties 2 adjacent to the rail 1. One of the journal boxes for the shaft. 39 is shown at 40 in Fig. 5 where it will be seen that this journal box has an extension 41 in the nature of a fish plate which connected to the web of the rail 1 by the bolts 27 before referred to. By this means the same bolts 27 which are utilized to secure the filling-in strip 26 to the rail are also utilized for the purpose of securing the journal boxes 40 in fixed relation to the rails. Each rock shaft 39 is provided with one or more rock arms 42 connected each by a link 43 to the rock arm 16 on the shaft 15 before referred to.

Extending along the length of the bar 25 are a number of rock shafts 39 each connected as described to the line rock shaft 15.

If a long bar 25 were supported only at the ends, that is if such a bar were engaged at one end by the wheels of an approaching train and at the other end were connected to the gate operating mechanism, then if the bar were of any considerable length, the sag of such a long bar would prevent the operation of the gate until the train had traveled a long distance on said bar.

By the present invention the effect of sagging is entirely prevented by the several intermediate rock shafts 29 which serve as suports for the bar 25 at many pointsralong its ength and consequently when the bar is engaged at one end by the wheels of a train it is depressed along its entire length because of the many points of support which prevent sagging. For this reason when one end of r the bar is engaged by the train the bar is depressed throughout and the gates are immediately 0 erated.

What is c aimed is 1. In a railway gate, a bar adapted to be engaged by the wheels of an ap roaching train, rock shafts at the ends an at intermediate points along the bar to which the bar is positively connected, a rock shaft substantially co-eXtensive with the bar and to which it is also operatively connected, and a gate connected to and operated by the rock shaft.

2. In a railway gate, an operating bar exvtending along the track in the path of the wheels of an approaching train, pivotal supports for the ar at the ends and at intermediate oints and positively connected to said bar or causing co-eXtensive movement of the bar throughout its length when actuated at one end, end sections of the bar each hinged thereto at one end and at the other end to a rail, and guide blocks substantially co-extensive with the hinged sections and confining the latter against the rails.

3. A railway gate comprising two members movable to and from each other in a straight line, a spring tending to move the gate members together, horizontal rock shafts one for each gate, a rock arm on each shaft and connections between the rock arms and the res ective gates, a horizontal rock shaft eXten ing along the line of way, link and lever connections between the last named rock shaft and the rock shafts directly controlling the gates for causing movement of the latter in opposite directions away from each other in a straight line, and

, against the action of the spring, a bar extending adjacent to a track rail and in the path of the wheels of an approaching train, rock shafts adjacent to the rail, positive connections between the bar and the several rock shafts adjacent to the rails and connections between the rock shafts adjacent to the rails and the rock shaft connected to the gates and extending along the line of way.

4. In a railway gate, a bar adapted to be engaged by the wheels of an approaching train, pivoted members at each end of the bar each pivotally connected at one end to the rails and having a sliding hinge connection at the. other end to the corresponding end of the bar, rock shafts at the ends and at intermediate points along the bar to which the bar is ositively connected, a rock shaft substantially co-extensive with the bar and to which it is also operatively connected, and a gate connected to and operated by the rock shaft.

5. In a railway gate, a bar adapted to be engaged by the wheels of an approaching train, pivoted members at each end of the bar each pivotally connected at one end to the rails and having a sliding hinge connection at the other end to the corresponding end of the bar, guide blocks parallel with the rails and co-extensive with and confining the hinged members against the corresponding portions of the rails, rock shafts at the ends and at intermediate points along the bar to which the bar is ositively connected, a rock shaft substantia ly co-extensive with the bar and to which it is also operatively connected, and a gate connected to and operated by the rock shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD M. BUGHANNAN. 

